Shloka 47
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
न कामेषु न भोगेषु नैश्वर्ये न सुखे तथा । स्पृहा यस्या यथा पत्यौ सा नारी धर्मभागिनी
na kāmeṣu na bhogeṣu naiśvarye na sukhe tathā | spṛhā yasyā yathā patyau sā nārī dharmabhāginī ||
聖なるマヘーシュヴァラは言った。「その思いを夫にのみ堅く結び、官能の快楽や享楽、世俗の権勢、さらには安逸にさえ同じほどの渇望を抱かぬ女—その女こそ真にダルマを分かち持つ者、揺るがぬ貞節によって正しき道の伴侶となる。」
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises single-minded marital fidelity: a woman is called a ‘sharer in dharma’ when her primary longing is for her husband and she is not driven by cravings for sensual pleasure, enjoyment, power, or comfort. The ethical emphasis is on restraint (spṛhā-nirodha) and prioritizing duty and commitment within the household order.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Śrī Maheśvara speaks as an authoritative teacher, defining the qualities of a pativratā and explaining how such steadfast devotion is regarded as participation in dharma and a source of religious merit.